Automatic folding vehicle-top.



LE ROY B. WHEELER. AUTOMATIC FOLDING VEHICLE TOP. APPLICATION FILED O CT. 2| 1917.

1,28?,1 55. meme@ De@ III, IIIIII.

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LE RG-Z B. `WHEELER, OF NEW YORK. N11.

AUTOMATC FOLDNG VE-CLE-TOP.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Fatented Dee. itl, ittl.

Application filed October 2, 191'?. Serial No. 194,309.

Be it known that l, Ln Roy B. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York. in the county and State of New York, have invented oei-tain new and useful linproveinents in Automatic Folding Vehicle Tope. of wnieh the following is a full, clear, and exact speeieationl This invention relates to folding vehicle tops7 and has for its object to provide a top, preferably of the extension type commonly known as a. one man top, which may be raised by a small Child or anyone with very little or no exertion. The tops ogi this kind now generally in use are diiiieult to raise owing' to the considerable weight oi' the Several bows when-folded. This invention eontemplates; the provi ion ot' means for antoinatioally ormrating the top. that is, inovinf; it from folded to raised position, as soon as Said top is ,given a. slightraising; movement.. A further obj eet is to retain the top in folded position against accident-al displaeeinent.-

The invention will be rst, hereinai'ter de- "scribed ineonneetion with the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this Speci- 'ieation.y and then more apeoiiioaily defined in the claims at the end ot' the deseription.

n the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 a broken Side View of portion of an automobile body with the top in folded positionthei-eon.

'the'. is a ein'iilar View, showing the top 3 a gestion on the line L. 2, to bei tor illustrato how eoneeaied in 'the sideot the ye iieie Fig. is a det'ztiied riow of the dnaehable A.conn between the end ofjthe bow and piro., being shown separated. "The top i in .supported by e 'front bow whifh pivoted at. its ends to the sides of the bod): S at arear bow 5 pivotod to the nt boy i near ite ends. as at t3, and extoneion bows and adapted to be automatically actuated when the bows and 5 are rained., by tine members S1, il, l0 and ii, in Ythe usual. manner. The pivots 4 oif the bow 2 are eX- tended tiirou gli the outer wall ofthe body 3a on their inner ends Carry fixed arms: l arranged in cavities l?) in the body, it beine nder=too l hat the arrangement; oi one o? Shown in ig. 3, nloiioaed of the body rteouired.

`pivot pins journaled on the other Side ot' the body. A coiled spring il, also housed iu the cavity 13, is aff taehed at one vend to the arin l2 and at the other to a fixed portion ot' the boduY at 15.

l"ifhen the top is folded, as illustrated in Fig. l, the arms 12 extend Slightly above the pivote` a, so that. the springs 1l to retain said top in iolded position against accidental displacement. To raise the top, it is only necessary. to more the saine upward far enough to bring the arms l2 below the pivots l. whereupon the springs automatically raie@ the bows 2 and and through the ineinbers 81, tl, l0 and ll extend the extension bows '7 and 8.

Auxiliary bows. snel :iS the bow 1G which extends rearwardly 'from the bow 2, may be employed, it desired,` and are adapted to open and close withthe main bowa. The bow 2 may be detaelrabiy connected to the pivot pingl 4f but is designed to turn with thorn. Y As illustrated ,in 4, the piot pins i may have squared outer end portions l0 with screw threaded extensions Llvl, and the ends of the bow 2 may be provided with square openings i?. to lit said :squared portions J[.0 of the pivot pins. the nidsv of said how being retained in placey by nuto engaging the extensions 4 1. lt will be obserred that the pivot eonneetion between the bow and body is 'waterproof with no slots iu the upper edtro will also be noted that the bow is connected to the body on the outside ol'i the latter no that said bow wide enough to clear the sides ol the rear Seat folded, ving thus deseribed my inventioin what.

"i new and desire io Secure by lietiA o the 'United States: is The combination with a Vehicle body, of

therein and haring` their outer ends projeoting ou the outside of Said bodyn a. if'el'iitie top having' bow connected to the outer ends oi" said pivot. plus lo turn therewitl arme fixed to the inner oude of Said pivot pins. and coiled epi' s; connected directly to said arms and to 'me body.l Said arms extendin#- to one side. oi" the pivot pins when the bow if; folded and to e. other side oi Said pivot pins when the bow rained, for the purpoaeeV s''ieoilieah The combination vehicle top having bow connect-ed to the outer ends of said pivot pins to turn therewith, arms housed in the cavities and fixed to the innel` ends ofthe pivot pins, and coiled Springs also housed in the cavities and conneeted directly to said arms and to the body,Av

said arms extending to one side of the pivot pins when the bow is folded, and to the other side of Isaid pivot pins when the bow i5 raised, for the purposes specied, l0 In testimony whereof I have Signed my name to `@his specification. l

`LE ROY B. WHEELER. 

